Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Scene of the Blog Featuring Susan of The Book Chook


I'm very happy to be featuring Susan this week. Are you familiar with this Australian blogger who's so very passionate about children's literature and literacy? If you are familiar with her, then you know how many wonderful ideas she has to get children to love reading and incorporate it into their daily lives.

If you're not acquainted with her, please stop by her blog, The Book Chook, and say hello. While you're there checking out her fantastic blog, you can also take a look at her free publication, Literacy Lava. For Susan, it's all about getting kids to read and having them love every second of it. It makes me wonder what sort of person I'd be today if I hadn't become a reader at a very early age? My life has been so shaped by the printed page that I simply cannot imagine my life without books. We need more people like Susan to get the world reading!

Let's take a look at where this very creative person blogs, shall we? I thought you'd agree! Don't forget that you can click on the photos to view them full size.



Here is where I do most of my blogging. I have had my iMac for 12 months and love it to bits. I got it not long after I started The Book Chook blog, which is where I give free rein to my passion for children's literature and literacy. My family calls it my obsession, but I think passion is so much more genteel.

I usually create my posts in Text Edit, a very minimal, notepad-like program, and behind that, my browser so I can find the links I need. Then I transfer my posts to blogger. I try to have about 20 posts on the go at once. Book reviews I try to write as soon as I finish the book, but I also blog heaps about children's literacy. Those posts involve researching websites, online story creators, educational games etc. You know the drill, it's a tough life, but someone has to do it.





Reading is something I prefer to do away from the screen. I spend many hours researching, studying, surfing and writing online, so I need a break from the screen as often as possible. I walk every day, but I try to build little walks into my day too, because I crave a break from all the white noise the internet generates in my head. So I often walk into my garden, and sit by the pool to read or meditate. Right now it's summer in Australia, so it's fun to do some laps and cool off, then sit in the shade to read.

I don't get to read many books for grown-ups, because I just don't have the time. Luckily Santa brought me two that I have added to my (smaller, adult) tbr pile - Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul and The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. The other, larger tbr pile of children's books somehow keeps growing despite a sign on my blog to say I am not accepting any new books until I clear my backlog. I keep reading about wonderful-sounding books! Am I a children's book junkie? Probably. I blame the other great kidlit people in the blogosphere who seduce me with book reviews!

I love Kittling Books because it keeps me in touch with the promise of grown-up reading. (One day, I swear I will join your ranks- I just have to finish another sixty or so children's books!) Thanks Cathy for letting me share a little bit of my blogging world.


I have to admit that I'm sitting here with a perverse little grin on my face. You see, I'm envisioning all of you who are shivering in the depths of winter looking at Susan's pool and turning the teeniest bit green with envy. Me? I'm not envious. I live in the desert, and I'm not shivering!

I really like the way Susan has her office set up-- especially with that large window front and center. And as for where she likes to read, you gotta love it. Water draws me like a magnet. Always has. Give me a watering hole, and I've found my favorite place to read!

Thanks so much for sharing your creative spaces with us, Susan. We really appreciate it!

Who will be featured next Wednesday on Scene of the Blog? You'll just have to stop by and find out. See you then!



31 comments:

  1. What a beautiful garden and pool area...I could just envision myself sitting there reading to my heart's content. I am drawn to water too!!

    My 7 year old son is struggling with reading, so I am very interested in getting some ideas of books that might interest in...heading on over to check out Susan's blog right now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're torturing me here! We have beautiful snow and it's finally warming a little (to about 25 degrees) after a cold snap. That pool looks so inviting. Why did we move to PA? Oh yeah, it was something about scalding hot summers. :-D

    ReplyDelete
  3. I haven't seen the sun in weeks, so yes, I am a bit jealous! I'll have to take a closer look at her site, since I'm always keeping an eye out for new things to encourage my kids to read.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It was like you were reading my mind when I saw her gorgeous pool!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What an awesome blog Susan has. Thanks for the intro!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for the new blog to check out, though I vaguely remmember you mentioning her before somewhere...

    Reading with my children is one of my favorite things to do. And my favorites list still has books I read when I was a child! So important to share this skill with the next generation.

    And I love the new blog layout! It's fun to change it up, isn't it?

    Michele
    SouthernCityMysteries

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, shucks folks, I didn't mean to rub in the summer heat when the TV tells me so many of you are shivering. Okay, maybe just a little!

    Thanks, Cathy for this opportunity to share my blogging world with others who love books! I don't know about you people, but in my world, real life friends aren't too interested in blogging. It's great to gain a little insight into how others blog, and extend my network via Scene of the Blog.

    And how lovely that some of you will come to visit my blog. Recent posts have been about making little books with kids at Bookr, music resources on the net for kids, a workshop in New Media for bloggers, book reviews, ideas to beat boredom, and a tutorial on how to add small pics to a larger pic in photoshop. Hmmm, it's a pretty eclectic mix, but somehow I justify it as all encouraging kids (and their parents) to read, write and communicate with creativity.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is so cold here - yes, Susan's pool looks very enticing! I've followed Susan's blog for a while - I'm always on the lookout for ways to use books to teach my six-year-old, and I found Literacy Lava to be very helpful!

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's great to hear, Belle! The outstanding feature of Literacy Lava, to me, is that it brings together such a diverse group of contributors. It means readers get a range of different voices and topics, so hopefully there'll be something for everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  10. G'Day Ms. Chook ... lovely space you have! I'll trade you one pool for a room (I mean office) over the garage with an electric fireplace to add "ambiance." ;')

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for coming by to say G'day, Terry. All you need to do is fly across whatever that ocean is called between Australia and the US - Geography isn't my strong suit- and you can blog from my pool anytime you like.

    ReplyDelete
  12. It was great to read this. Love your blog. Keep these kind of posts coming!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like the office set up as well...and that pool looks divine!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Random question, how did you get those share buttons to show up at the bottom of your posts in blogger?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Serena-- I've sent you an email about the Share button. :)

    MR-- Thank you for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm one who is not familiar with Susan's blog but I'm going to fix that. I love both of her spaces. Thanks Cathy for introducing Susan to us.

    ReplyDelete
  17. How lovely of you to say that, Margot! And so interesting how others see us. I look at the photos and cringe - gee, Susan, couldn't you have put the pool equipment away, tidied your desk, used a better angle...My inner editor seems to perch on my shoulder whatever I do!

    ReplyDelete
  18. As an avid reader of the Chook's blog it was just great to learn more about her and her lovely environment. No matter how long I searched I couldn't find a chook run anywhere though!

    Off to read more of your blog now!

    ReplyDelete
  19. As an avid reader of the Chook's blog it was just great to learn more about her and her lovely environment. No matter how long I searched I couldn't find a chook run anywhere though!

    Off to read more of your blog now!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I see you have your hat to hand ! Of course I will be back :-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. It's been wonderful to catch up with so many friends here- Jeanne and Elizabeth Anne, all we need is a virtual coffee shop and we could bavarder with the best of them!

    Re Elizabeth's "hat" remark. Elizabeth and I live on opposite sides of the world, and have been communicating via a video/audio site called TokBox. One of our standing jokes is that we students like to wear disguises to feel more comfortable on video. My gorilla in the pic above is sporting one of my hats - it doesn't cover as many wrinkles as my full face mask, alas.

    Cathy, thank you again for allowing me to visit your blog. And thank you to everyone who visited and commented. Isn't the internet wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Sooooo jealous of The Book Chook! Gorgeous is all I can say about the reading nook. And, the workspace looks so organized and spacious. If only . . . :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi Tif, thanks for that space envy! I actually removed about forty scraps of paper, one crumpled tissue, an empty tea cup and 17 books from the desk before the pic. But I know how lucky I am to have a study all to myself, honest.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh boy! I have to come for a visit! What a lovely room and I love the pool. Ahhhh. I know what you mean about needing a walk.

    ReplyDelete
  25. (the non-necromancer Jeanne) I was reading through the comments, trying to think of a way to say that I like to see photos of summer when there's still snow on the ground where I live--it gives me hope that the seasons WILL change--when I was startled to see another person whose name is spelled the same way. This has virtually never happened to me before.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love the exposed brick. And the pools not bad either ;)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Beth F. you are more than welcome! The walking thing also needs to be supplemented by regular stretching and posture checks. When I'm really flat out, I sometimes hunch so far i have my nose on the screen!

    Jeanne (2) I am off to look up necromancy. It's one of those words I've never really understood! Jeanne (1) blogs at A Peaceful Day - well worth a visit as Jeanne has interesting tastes in literature, inclining toward quality children's literature.

    Staceybuckeye, I still love the brick although I know a decorator would say it is passe and we should bag it. The bricks are such interesting and different colours and patterns - I love to stare at them and dream.

    Thanks for commenting!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Jeanne-- I have so many friends whose names are some variation of "Jean" that I have a dickens of a time keeping all the spellings straight!

    Margot-- I'm thrilled that I could introduce Susan to everyone. Her work is fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Cathy, maybe it's just that I grew up in Missouri and Arkansas. I never met anyone who could spell my name the first time until I went to France this summer.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Jeanne-- I understand completely! I grew up next-door in Illinois and learned at a very early age to always ask how each "Jean" spelled her name. Even more so when I was in high school and learned French!

    ReplyDelete
  31. LOL!!!! You did what I would have done too!! It's just cracks me up that you used exact numbers . . . for some reason, I'm thinking they are pretty accurate too!! :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!